The development of new medical techniques and methods has caused an increase in the number of items attached to the patient table. For example, a patient with a chest wound or heart problem may require several IVs delivering drugs, blood and food intravenously to the patient. The patient may also require a heart monitor, a breathing monitor and other devices that must be transported when the patient is moved. Other medical problems require that infusion pumps, suction apparatus, blood pressure monitors, syringe pumps and other medical equipment also be attached to the patient table.
Current day patient tables, i.e. emergency gurneys, hospital beds and surgical tables, attempt to address the need for multiple IVs and accessible monitors and other apparatus by attaching receiving shafts to the corners of the patient table (see FIG. 1). These shafts currently allow attachment of single unit IV stands. The post of the single unit IV stand slides into the shaft and is maintained in place by the shaft being closed on the bottom.
This current practice is clumsy and oftentimes medically undesirable. To reach the single unit IV stands, the care provider must physically move to each corner of the patient table. In many instances, this required movement is not possible. For example, if the care provider is administering oxygen, she must remain near the patient's head. With this limited range of movement, IV stands at the patient's feet are unaccessible. Consequently, an additional care provider is required to access the IV stands at the patient's feet. Due to the increased demand for supply stands that attach to the patient table, yet are accessible by only one care provider, a need exists for a device which allows localized attachment of a plurality of supply stands.